More than 200 visitors joined the premiere of The Tun Legacy Tour: Secrets of The Tun in November 2025, to experience locations connected to the historic Tun in Philadelphia and learn about the organizations with a heritage there. The sold-out bus tour, which The Tun Legacy Foundation created in partnership with America250PA and WeVenture Philadelphia, returns for select dates this June and November, to celebrate the nation’s Semiquincentennial. Five dollars from each tour booking will benefit The Tun® rebuild.
Reservations for the 2.5-hour bus tour, which costs $60 per person, are now open for the June dates: Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30. Guests will meet their tour guide at 10:30 a.m. at the Masonic Temple Library & Museum at One North Broad Street in Philadelphia, where they will view artifacts connected to the Tun and learn about the mariners tavern’s connection to Pennsylvania Freemasonry. From there, The Tun Legacy Tour visits nine more sites – including both Independence Hall, where the Resolution Establishing the Marine Corps was passed on November 10, 1775, and the Arch Street Meeting House Burial Ground, the final resting place of the Corps’ first commandant, Samuel Nicholas.
Book the June tour at https://we-venture.com/tour/the-tun-legacy-foundation-tour/. November dates will be announced soon and will coincide with the Marine Corps birthday.
Tour company WeVenture Philadelphia has also developed the Philadelphia Military History Tour, a new 2.5-hour guided walking tour through the historic district that helps you discover the city’s deep connection with – and impact on – the United States military. The tour, which is also now booking, begins at 1:30 p.m., and runs Thursdays through Sundays. The cost is $49. WeVenture is generously donating $2 from every Philadelphia Military History Tour ticket to The Tun Legacy Foundation.
Book the Philadelphia Military History Tour at www.we-venture.com/tour/philadelphia-military-history-tour/ today.
Tour Details
The Tun Legacy Tour: Secrets of The Tun
Starts at the Masonic Temple Library & Museum (One North Broad Street)
Monday, June 29 and Tuesday, June 30
10:30 a.m.
$60
An experienced guide and destination expert will share the story of the historic Tun in Philadelphia, from its beginnings in 1686 on Philadelphia’s waterfront, where it stood for nearly a century, to its future as The Tun®, a project that is preserving history for future generations.
The fully accessible 2.5-hour bus and walking/rolling tour begins at the Masonic Temple Library & Museum (One North Broad Street), where you will see artifacts including an original cobblestone from the site of the historic Tun, and a tablet commemorating the June 24, 1732, meeting of Freemasons at the Tun. The tour will then visit locations connected to the six heritage organizations with origins at the Tun.
“The Tun Legacy Tour: Secrets of The Tun visits sites significant to the historic Tun and the establishment of the Continental Marines and the Pennsylvania Freemasons,” said Ken Hopper, board member and marketing chair, The Tun Legacy Foundation. “The tour is a legacy of the 250th United States Marine Corps birthday celebration in Philadelphia and is being offered in 2026 as part of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s Semiquincentennial celebration, thanks to the support of America250PA and WeVenture Philadelphia. And there’s more good news – the tour will be a regular offering once The Tun® opens.”
Tour stops:
- Independence Hall
- The original site of the historic Tun
- The Tun Historical Marker
- Arch Street Meeting House Burial Ground, resting place of Samuel Nicholas, first commandant of the Marine Corps
- Christ Church Burial Ground, resting place of Benjamin Franklin
- Washington Square Park, resting place of Joshua Carpenter, the Tun builder
- Irish Memorial
- Monument to Scottish Immigrants
- Wood Street steps
The tour will conclude at Reading Terminal Market, located two blocks from the tour’s starting point, where guests can enjoy a pay-as-you-go lunch. Reservations are required. Book at https://we-venture.com/tour/the-tun-legacy-foundation-tour/. The Tun Legacy Tour was developed with a grant from America250PA, and in partnership with WeVenture Philadelphia.
Tour Details
Philadelphia Military History Tour
Starts at the Arch Street Meeting House (320 Arch Street)
1:30 p.m.
Thursdays through Sundays
$49
A local expert guide will lead you on this fully accessible 2.5-hour walking/rolling tour. Beginning at the Arch Street Meeting House, you will learn about the grounds that are the final resting place of Samuel Nicholas, the man credited with creating the United States Marine Corps. You will wind your way through Old City, visiting memorials dedicated to unsung heroes of America’s earliest conflicts, including Commodores Uriah Levy and John Barry. At Independence Hall, you will hear how our military was born within its hallowed halls. At Washington Square, you will visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Eternal Flame. In this public green space also stands a monument dedicated to George Washington, first Commander in Chief.
“This tour through the historic district provides a wonderful opportunity for people to discover Philly’s impact on the birth of our Army, Navy and Marines, and how this city has supported the defense of democracy throughout the year,” said Adam Clements, destination director, WeVenture Philadelphia.
The tour will also visit the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial. It concludes at the Delaware River Waterfront, where you will view historically significant naval ships used throughout our nation’s history.
Reservations are required. Book now at https://we-venture.com/tour/philadelphia-military-history-tour/.
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